what ways my magazine uses, develops and challenges forms and conventions of Jazz magazines.

1. In what ways does your
media product use
develop or challenge
forms and conventions of
real media products?

2. Front cover

3. Masthead
 Use
◦ Jazz magazines only use one colour for their mastheads.
◦ Jazz magazine often have their Masthead at the top of page because people read
in the Z shape starting from the top and ending at the bottom, so it would make
sense to put the masthead at the top of the front cover.
 Develop
◦ I have use the ‘Park Lane’ font from the round softer fonts used in Jazz
magazines, this is because I wanted to celebrate the time when Jazz was most
popular, the 1920s.
 Challenge
◦ I have put my masthead on a coloured background which is not common for Jazz
magazines but I wanted to make sure it stood out from the rest of the front
cover.

4. Main cover line
 Use
◦ I have placed my main cover line over the main image, this is popular in most
Jazz magazines as it anchors the main image but also draws attention to it.
 Develop
◦ I have put the main cover line in two different fonts as I wanted to draw attention
to my models name.
 Challenge
◦ I have put the cover line in a box so that it would stand out even more compared
to my sub lines which are not in boxes. This is so the reader will be drawn to the
main cover line as it looks more exciting than the sub lines.

5. Main image
 Use
◦ I have put the main image in black and white
which is common in most Jazz magazines as it
makes the artist and the magazine seem more
sophisticated
◦ There are also no secondary images as Jazz
magazines don’t tend to have them so the
reader concentrates more on the main image.
 Develop
◦ My model is in causal clothing which is not really
normal for a female jazz artist to be
photographed in as they normally dress quite
formally.
 Challenge
◦ I have not photo-shopped any of my models as I
feel that photo-shopping is wrong and immoral.

6. Comparison to other magazines

7. Smooth Jazz
 Masthead
◦ The mast head while in different colours
follows the conventions and forms of a
mast head on a jazz magazine. It uses
smooth rounded fonts and is placed at the
top of the page.
 Main cover line
◦ The main cover over laps the main image
and is in white so it stands out against the
main image.
 Main image
◦ There are some secondary images on the
front cover which challenges conventions
and forms of a Jazz magazine. But the main
image takes centre stage filling the whole
front cover and almost acting like a
background so the reader take notice of
that first.
◦ It is also in colour which challenges forms
and conventions but the colour in the photo
match the colour scheme used in the front
cover and I think a black and whit picture
would make the magazine look boring and
dull.

8. Downbeat
 Masthead
◦ The Masthead follows the forms and
conventions of a Jazz magazine. It has a
rounded font, it is one colour and is placed
at the top of the page. But it is being cover
by the main image showing that this
magazine is popular and see the reader
doesn't have to see the whole masthead to
know which magazine this is.
 Main cover line
◦ The main cover line also follows forms and
conventions of a Jazz magazine because it
cover the main image and anchors the
main image. Although I don’t think this
works well as the white writing against the
models checker suit is not nice to look at.
 Main image
◦ The main image is not in black and white
but in colour which makes the magazine
look brighter and more colourful. I think
the reason that they have done this is that
the front cover has quite a dark colour
scheme and if the main image was in black
and white it would make the magazine look
dull and boring.

9. Jazz magazine
 Masthead
◦ The mast head sticks to the forms and
conventions of Jazz magazine front
covers with a rounded font but
challenges them with using two colours
for its masthead. It think this is so the
word ‘magazine’ stands out against the
word ‘Jazz’.
 Main cover line
◦ This is a 15th anniversary addition of the
magazine and so this the only cover line
we get is one telling us this. But is does
conform to forms and conventions of
Jazz magazines as it just text printed
over the main image.
 Main image
◦ The main image is in black and white
and so follows the forms and
conventions of a jazz magazine. I think
the reason they choose to do this was
to make the magazine seem epic for
lasting so long.

10. Contents

11. Masthead
 Use
◦ Most Jazz magazines have their mastheads at the top of the contents page so
you know you have the real magazine.
 Develop
◦ I’ve used the same font for both the word contents and the masthead because I
wanted the reader to put together that they are reading a real ‘All that Jazz’
magazine.
 Challenge
◦ I’ve used quite a dark blue for my masthead and contents title because it
matched my house style. Most Jazz magazines either go for a black masthead or
a white one.

12. Images
 Use
◦ I have featured a album cover in my images, most Jazz
magazines are guaranteed to have one in their contents
pages.
 Develop
◦ I have used a lot more images than most Jazz magazines
use as they often go for a minimalistic style, but I felt
that my contents page would be empty without them.
 Challenge
◦ I have anchored my images with more than just page
numbers as I felt that it would useful to readers if they
knew what the picture was about.

13. Features
 Use
◦ I have a top stories and a regulars column so
readers know which are going to recurring stories
and which are unique to this issue of my magazine.
 Develop
◦ I’ve colour coded my features so that the reader at a
glance knows that there two different types of
stories.
 Challenge
◦ My features are not the central focus of my contents
page. Most Jazz magazines don’t have anything
other than their features and a few pictures in their
contents page. But I decided to put an authors note,
subscription box and lots of pictures in my contents
page because I felt it looked to blank with out them.

14. Comparison to other magazines

15. Jazz Inside
 Masthead
◦ The mast head is at the top of the page and
is in the same font and colour as is seen on
the front cover. It is larger than normal
magazines but that just draws the readers
attention more to the fact that it is the real
thing.
 Images
◦ There is only one image on the contents
page which is normal for a Jazz contents
page, although it is anchored by a page
number it is also anchored by text which
breaks forms and conventions of Jazz
magazines.
◦ It also links to the image on the front cover
so readers know where to look for this
artist.
 Features
◦ The features are split into six columns.
Clubs, concerts and events, columns,
interviews and sketches, venue review, Cd
reviews, product review. This makes it
easier for the reader to find the articles
they want to read. But the contents only
takes up half of page, the rest of the page
is just adverts and terms and conditions.
Which makes the contents page very boring
and a lot less intresting to read.
Front cover

16. Jazzwise
 Masthead
◦ The masthead is at the top of the page
and is the same as the masthead on the
front cover so this magazine so far
conforms to the forms and conventions
of Jazz magazines.
 Images
◦ There is only one image which also
doubles as the back ground. This is
normal and often a trick used by Jazz
magazines as it makes the contents
page look like one big image.
 Features
◦ There are not separate columns for
different features but we can assume
that the articles in bigger fonts are
more important that the ones in smaller
fonts. This breaks form and conventions
as most magazines have their features
spilt into different columns so the
reader which are regular stories and
which are unique to this issue.

17. Smooth Jazz
 Masthead
◦ The masthead is not on the contents page
but instead at the bottom in the URL next
to the page number. This breaks forms and
conventions and makes it confusing for the
reader as they wouldn’t know if they have
the real Smooth jazz magazine or just a
pirated copy.
 Images
◦ There are three images which is a lot for a
Jazz magazine but they are anchored by
page numbers which is typical of Jazz
magazines so Smooth Jazz both conforms
and breaks forms and convention when it
comes to images in contents pages.
 Features
◦ The features are spilt into eight columns.
Cover story, Artist review, Cd reviews, Cd
releases, concert listings, festival season,
feature articles, concert review. Splitting
the features into eight columns allows the
reader to easily find what their looking for.

18. Double Page Spread

19. Headline
 Use
◦ Most Jazz magazines have a very simple headline for their double page spread
because Jazz magazines have a very simplistic style to them.
◦ They are also at the top of page which I have done here as well so the reader
knows what article they are reading.
 Develop
◦ I have used quite bright colours in my headline but that is because I needed to
match my house style.
 Challenge
◦ Haven’t really challenged any forms or conventions here because I really liked
the style that Jazz magazines have when it comes to their double page spreads.

20. Columns
 Use
◦ I have very wide columns which is
usually normal to see in Jazz magazines
as the article is usually the main focus of
their double page spread.
 Develop
◦ I have colour coded my question in stead
of putting them in bold because I would
make the questions stand out more.
 Challenge
◦ I have put quite a big gap in-between
my columns and that is so I would fill my
page more evenly.

21. Main image
 Use
◦ My picture is in colour, normally Jazz
magazines do this because it contrasts the
main image on the front cover which is often
in black and white.
 Develop
◦ My model is on the right hand page so that
when the reader turns over the page they will
she her first and know that they are at the
main article advertised on the front cover.
 Challenge
◦ I haven’t really challenged any forms or
conventions for my main image because I like
the way the models are photographed in Jazz
double page spreads.

22. Comparison to other magazines

23. Albemarle
 Headline
◦ The headline follows form and
conventions as it is at the top of the
page and is very simplistic which is
normal of jazz magazines.
 Columns
◦ The columns are wide but not huge and
have small gaps in-between them
giving the double page spread a more
professional look to it.
◦ But this isn’t a double page spread
article on an interview so I can not
compare the actual text to my article.
 Main image
◦ The main image is in black and white
which challenges the forms and
conventions of Jazz magazines. But this
has been done to make the light blue
headline stand out and it also makes
the picture look older than it actually is
which fits in the theme of the article
‘iconic images from the Paramont
theatre.’

24. Blues and Soul
 Headline
◦ The headline is very minimalistic and this
makes the double page spread seem very
sophisticated and because the headline is at the
top of page it makes the article seem even
more professional.
 Columns
◦ The columns are wide and have small gaps in-
between them which not only follows the forms
and conventions of Jazz magazines but also
gives the article weight but also keeps up with
the clean cut style of double page spread.
 Main image
◦ The main image is in colour which conforms to
the forms and conventions but also draws our
attention to the image as the article is on the
right hand page and so when the reader is
flicking through the magazine they’ll see the
article first so a colour picture will draw
attention to who the article is about.
◦ There is also a secondary image which breaks
forms and conventions in a Jazz magazine but
when flicking through the pages the reader will
come across the article first and see the
secondary so they can get a rough idea who the
article is about.

25. Jazzwise
 Headline
◦ The headline is simplistic which follows forms
and convention of a jazz magazine. It is also at
the top of the page which means the reader will
notice it first.
◦ Likewise the headline reads ‘music of the
spheres’ and the headline is in a circle which
adds humour to the article and means readers
are more likely to read it as we like things that
make us laugh. This breaks forms and
conventions as most Jazz magazines won’t have
their headlines in shapes, as if not pulled off
well it can look childish but here it looks very
professional.
 Columns
◦ The columns aren’t really that wide but they do
have a small space in-between them so this
magazine breaks and conforms to the forms
and conventions of a Jazz magazine.
◦ I think they have done this to make the article
look even and neat to keep with the simplistic
style of the magazine.
 Main image
◦ They main image is in colour with is normal for
Jazz magazines and also the background is blue
which matches the blue background of the
headline. And the black outfit worn by the
model contrasts from the light colour palette,
making him stand out.